The digital nomad visa: your route into Spain if you’re non-EU

Spain’s "digital nomad visa" has been a hot topic since the 2022 Startups Law — and for most readers of this site, it is the route in. If you are British, American, Canadian, Australian or otherwise from outside the EU, this is very likely the permit you want if you work remotely and plan to settle in Valencia. Here is how it works for you.

What the visa is, and who it is for

The digital nomad visa is for non-EU nationals (Americans, Canadians, Brits, Argentinians and so on) who work remotely and want to live legally in Spain. It gives you a residence permit and, with it, the right to be here long-term, bring close family, and — once issued — apply for the physical TIE card (your photo ID residence card). For most of this audience, post-Brexit Brits very much included, this is the practical path to living in Valencia while keeping your remote job or clients abroad.

EU/EEA citizens do not need it. If you are Irish or from any other EU/EEA country, you have freedom of movement: you can live and work remotely in Spain with no visa at all. Beyond three months the only formality is registering as a resident — the so-called green card. That is it. So if that is you, you can skip the visa entirely.

The main requirements

For a non-European working remotely from Spain, the key conditions are:

• Working remotely for companies based outside Spain (a maximum of 20% of income from Spanish clients).
• Sufficient income: around 200% of the Spanish minimum wage, in the region of €2,760 to €2,850/month in 2026 (the exact figure depends on the base used — check the official portal).
• A degree or three years of experience in your field, a client company that has existed for over a year, and a working relationship of at least three months.
• Full health insurance (no deductibles) and a clean criminal record.

How to apply

Two routes. From abroad via the consulate in your home country (a one-year visa), or from inside Spain via the UGE (the dedicated unit), which grants a three-year authorisation and has a reputation for being fast (a reply in around twenty days, with silence counting as approval). It is renewable afterwards. Once approved and in Spain, you book an appointment to get your fingerprints taken and collect your TIE card.

And the "Beckham Law"?

This is where people get confused. The digital nomad visa is a residence permit; the Beckham Law is a favourable tax regime (taxation at 24%) that visa holders may be able to opt into. The two are linked but separate — and the tax regime can also be of interest to some newly arrived EU citizens. We cover it in detail in our dedicated piece on the Beckham Law and digital nomad visa.

In short: if you are non-EU and work remotely, the digital nomad visa is most likely your way in — and it opens the door to the TIE. If you are an EU citizen, forget the visa and simply sort out your green card.

Sources

• PRIE portal — Residence for international remote workers (digital nomad)
• ONE platform — Digital nomad residence application
• administracion.gob.es — Registering as a resident (EU citizens)
• SEPE — Minimum wage (SMI) 2026

Information verified in June 2026. Procedures, taxes and prices change fast: before you go anywhere, always check the official source (links below). The Daily Valencia is an AI-assisted publication with human review — spotted a mistake? Drop us a line.